7 Habits That Can Make Your Anxiety Worse Without Realizing It

5. Staying Up Late

“Getting enough sleep has a significant impact on mood,” says Martinez. “When we are not getting enough sleep, it puts pressure on all systems of the body. Our mental and immune system chemicals are not replenished.” Research from the Journal of Neuroscience found that when people are sleep-deprived, they experience a surge of anticipatory anxiety, as lack of sleep triggers the areas in your brain responsible for emotional processing. The study also found that people who are already prone to anxiety experience are likely to develop full-blown anxiety disorder from lack of sleep.